Beartrap Lake, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Mono County, California, sits Beartrap Lake. The water sits 9,898 feet up. At 6 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Nearest place of any size is Yosemite Valley, 31 miles away. Modesto is the closest city, 89 miles away. Other water nearby: Anna Lake out at 2 miles, 2.4 miles away is Kirkwood Lake, Tower Lake out at 2.9 miles, 2.9 miles away is Cora Lake and Lake Harriet out at 3 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Beartrap Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Mono County records list brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Beartrap Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 22°F to 54°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late May. The water is typically free of ice between late May and late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. At Beartrap Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Anna Lake at 2 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Beartrap Lake as something to verify.